Latching mechanisms with handles that require two hands to operate are sometimes referred to in the field of latches as “defeater handles”, or latches with a “defeater” feature. In defeater handles, the handle is rotatably connected to an escutcheon mounted on a door. Turning the handle moves a cam to lock or unlock the door. Many prior defeater latches utilize two separate locking features. One locking feature is a release mechanism having a trigger on the handle. The trigger is biased to a locked position when not being activated by a user. In the locked position, the trigger engages with the escutcheon and prevents the handle from being turned, and thus provides a first feature to prevent a door from being opened. The second locking feature is a release mechanism that includes a lock cylinder or a turnable cylinder situated in a head portion of the handle. The internal lock cylinder or turnable cylinder is biased to a locked position where the handle cannot be turned relative to the escutcheon. Only when the user manually turns and holds the lock cylinder or turnable cylinder in the unlocked position will the user be able to turn the handle to open the door. Thus, in defeater handles with two locking features, two hands are needed to operate the handle. Finally, some currently available defeater latches include a padlock clasp feature which is used to padlock the handle to the escutcheon to further prevent operation of the latch.
Unfortunately, prior art defeater handles are unnecessarily complex in design and overly cumbersome to operate. There accordingly remains a need for new designs of defeater handles that offer an enhanced level of security while being easier to operate, more robust and simple in design to lower manufacturing costs, and less prone to malfunction or failure through years of use and weathering.